Just My Luck
by Tony WildRiver
Summary: Sometimes I wonder just how well the people in my life know me. I mean, my appearance doesn't change much, my voice is the same. Even if I act different shouldn't someone have recognized me by now? Then I remember, it's only luck.


Just My Luck

Sometimes I think people are just blind, or maybe don't really know me really well. I mean, I don't change my physical appearance all that much, and the people that care about me say that my eyes are very expressive. Sometimes I wonder if people even really look at me. But then I remember, it's just luck that they don't recognize me.

I asked Tikki about it, on a day not long after I first became Ladybug.

"I don't understand it," I said, collapsing in exhaustion onto my bed. That akuma today was tough. Both Chat and I got tossed around more than we would prefer.

"Hm?" my kwami hummed around her cookie. "Don't understand what?"

"I was thinking that I really should avoid talking to people who know me when I'm Ladybug. I mean, I know I act different, but my voice is the same and the mask really doesn't hide much. But…" I paused, "today, when I rescued my classmates, some of whom I've known for years, they didn't even twitch. Not even a suspicious look. And trust me, several have terrible poker faces. Then there's Chat Noir. I know he wants to share our identities, but it too dangerous and I'm worried that if we ever meet as civilians, it won't take much for us to figure it out. But if my own friends don't even recognize me, maybe there's nothing to worry about? Gah! I just don't get it." I groaned, too tired to want to think about this but too worried to not.

Too my surprise, Tikki giggled. Curious, I looked up.

"Oh Marinette," she said coming down to land on my forehead. "Is it not obvious to you?"

At my put-upon expression, her smile turned softer. "I'm sorry, maybe I'm so used to magic that I forget the whole idea is new to you."

Now intrigued, I sat up, Tikki settling into my hands in a pose that could only be described as "tutor-mode."

"Do you remember what Ladybug represents?" she asked me.

Thinking through the talks we had had, I replied, "Good luck?"

"That's right," Tikki nodded, "but you see, when you are Ladybug, you don't just represent Good Luck. You actually embody it."

I thought about that for a minute, "So…people aren't recognizing me or figuring out who I am…because I'm lucky?"

"In essence, yes," the little creature nodded. "You don't want anyone to know your identity, so you are subconsciously angling good luck in your favor to that end."

As I sat there contemplating that, she interjected, "Of course, it works on you too."

"Huh?"

"Chat Noir. You don't want to know his identity, so your luck is keeping you from recognizing him as well. Without that power, I can guarantee that you two would have found each other by now."

Chat's disappointed expression from earlier came into my mind. Even though it is for our own good, I can't help but feel a little guilty whenever I refuse him clues to who we are. To know that I was actually controlling him somehow to keep him from putting it together felt… uncomfortable.

"But wait? Doesn't Chat then control bad luck? Why does my luck work on him? Wouldn't his counter mine?"

Tikki shook her head, "Unfortunately, as you've seen in some of your battles, his powers of bad luck can actually rebound on him. So in that sense, we got the long end of the stick when it comes to luck. Your good luck can affect him, but his bad luck has a hard time affecting you."

I gave her another cookie and pondered on that while she finished it off. Finally, I voiced my conclusion.

"So basically, the only way he - or anyone - is going to figure it out…" I whispered.

"Is when you decide that it's okay," Tikki finished for me. Vaguely, I noticed that she did not advise me against such thoughts.

So yes, I still sometimes wonder if people really see me, if they really know me as well as I think they do. When I talk to my parents in the guise of a superhero, when I rescue Alya because she can't stop filming long enough to run away, when Adrien smiles at me as I swing by, it can hurt sometimes. But then I remember it isn't their fault they can't tell who I am.

It's just my luck.

* * *

A/N: Please note, this is my own head canon to explain this particular aspect of the show. Hope you enjoyed it!


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